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Look at the News #6 – Sputnik V, Coronavirus Origins, Where are COVID Hotels?

Delaying Second Dose of Pfizer Vaccine may leave Elderly at Risk

  • new research suggests delaying 2nd dose of Pfizer jab may leave some elderly patients at risk of infection from the South Africa coronavirus variant.
  • It is currently the government’s strategy to delay the 2nd dose for a longer period so that the goal of 14 million 1st doses in the most vulnerable groups can be reached by Mid-Feb.
  • This because studies found one dose alone may not produce enough antibodies to kill that variant of the virus, further data suggests a 2nd jab would be enough for safe protection.
  • This is due to the South Africa variant having a gene (E484K) that allows it to more effectively evade the immune system, worryingly this gene has also been detected in some samples of the Kent variant.
  • The studies suggest that variants with this gene require ten times more antibodies to effectively fight off the virus. Studies suggest also that the elderly will be most hard hit by this, particularly those 80 or over.
My view

It’s a very unfortunate development but what it means is that the government now need to possibly amend the current vaccine plan and/or they need to push further into modified vaccines to help more effectively fight these new variants with this gene mutation that allows them to more easily evade antibodies.

Modified vaccines will obviously be the future to keep fighting new more troubling variants as they emerge. Once a vaccine is made (which vaccines have been made obviously) it should take less time to modify it against such new variants and make them more effective against these viruses again.

I reckon the government will probably stick to their current vaccine strategy while aiming to obtain modified vaccines to fight the new variants, and it will to be seen in the future if the government sticking with delaying the 2nd dose for longer, after this point, was a good idea or not.

New Border Action Promised, but no COVID Hotels Yet
  • No date is yet set for when COVID Hotels will be made mandatory for those returning from Red-List countries.
  • But the Health Secretary has promised strong action at the border to stop new variants from getting in.
  • Mounting pressure continues after it emerged scientific advisors had said on 21st January that only mandatory hotel quarantine for all travallers could come close to preventing new strains.
  • Further pressure also comes from the possibility of community spread in several areas in England of the South Africa variant already. Mutations of concern have also been detected in Bristol and Liverpool.
  • In somewhat unrelated news the Health Secretary hopes summer holidays are back on the cards this year after a report on AstraZeneca vaccine showed it has reduced hospitalisations and reduced the number who have COVID.
My view

To me it does feel like the government is going too slow on many of these things even though they claim they aren’t, such as increasing restrictions on the border and also bringing in mandatory COVID hotel quarantine for travallers into the UK. Specifically I do not know why the mandatory hotels have not yet been brought in as I think by now they should have been.

It may already be too late with possible community spread of the South Africa variant in several parts of England, I hope it can be brought under control but there is a high possibility it has already gone beyond that. It really is to me a wake up call for the government to get a move on with their plans of mandatory COVID hotels and also the apparent strong actions at the borders they have promised, so we can prevent other variants from getting in.

Russia’s Sputnik V Vaccine

  • Tests show that Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine is 91.6% effective with two doses, based on peer-reviewed interim results from phase three trial.
  • Scientists say there were no serious side effects and that any adverse effects were mild – flu-like symptoms, injection site pain, weakness, low energy.
  • Scientists also said the vaccine was effective against the Kent variant, tests on effectivesness on the South Africa and Brazil variants are yet to take place.
  • So far 15 countries have approved the use of the Sputnik V vaccine, with it set to reach 25 countries by the end of the week. Russia is also submitting it to the European Medicines Agency for EU approval.
  • Those behind the Sputnik V vaccine have also said combining it with another vaccine (for example one shot Sputnik V and one shot of AstraZeneca) may make it more effective against mutations. Clinical trials to test this with these two vaccines will get underway.
  • Public Health England though has previously recommended not mixing vaccines from two different suppliers.
  • Sputnik V is one of many vaccines, with others including AstraZeneca (one of the cheapest and so far the most ordered by the UK government, and one of the most variable in efficacy), Pfizer (one of the most effective according to tests), Moderna (one of the most expensive), Novavax (one of the most recent set to be approved), and Johnson & Johnson (one of the least effective according to tests).
My view

Another new vaccine is always exciting as it means more can be given out around the world if they are found to be effective which it would appear Sputnik V is so far. Of course many people will be perhaps put off by a vaccine from Russia due to political reasons. But if regulators themselves accept the vaccine as effective I think overall it is likely to be fine.

Our own scientists can always do their own tests if it needs to come to that, it isn’t something that can’t be solved and it isn’t something that should just be outright rejected just because it comes from Russia. Political wrangling should not have to get in the way of saving lives.

I am also excited to see if tests into the mixing of Sputnik V and AstraZeneca does actually turn out to be more effective, if so it could possibly spur Public Health England to have an amended outlook on the mixing of vaccines from different suppliers, if it is proven to work without any bad side effects.

WHO Team Tease & Possible Coronavirus Origins

  • The WHO team in Wuhan, China say they have seen data no one has seen before. They also have not ruled out the possibility of the virus originally escaping from a Chinese lab, such as the Wuhan Institute of Virology, although researchers there have rejected such claims.
  • The WHO team originally faced delays getting into China. China is also conducting its own investigation into the origins of COVID-19, there is though cooperation between both teams such as sharing of data and open talks on a possible pathway.
  • Some have though criticised tight controls on the WHO team in China, including isolation and possible stage management by China authorities – including a visit by the team to a propaganda museum on Wuhan’s fight against COVID-19.
  • Some have also alledged certain members of the team may be too close with certain Chinese officials, which may cause conflicts of interest.
My view

It’s an interesting predicament. Are we to trust the WHO team or are they too close with China or are controls of them by China merely too tight? It’s hard to say really when you yourself don’t have access. But it can be concerning that there is the possibility we won’t get the full truth of origin.

We’ll just have to wait and see what the team conclusion is and take it from there. There can always be further inquiries into the conclusions by the WHO and so on. But it is one of those very politically delicate and tough situations. I hope we at least get some answers that are verifiable and trusted.

There is at least some kind of reassurance that they haven’t straight up ruled out a leak from a Chinese lab in Wuhan.


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